Overview
- Villanova overpowered Penn with 34 points in the paint and shot 48.4% from three, turning a 27-27 tie into control with a 17-2 burst before halftime.
- Duke Brennan earned game MVP with 15 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists as Bryce Lindsay hit five threes for a game-high 18.
- Devin Askew added 17 off the bench and Matt Hodge scored 12, while Penn’s leading scorer Ethan Roberts left injured after 15 scoreless minutes as T. J. Power, Michael Zanoni and Cam Thrower had 11 each.
- Elsewhere in the tripleheader, La Salle beat Drexel 69-64 for fifth place and St. Joseph’s edged Temple 70-69 on a buzzer-beater for third.
- Villanova improved to 7-1 with seven straight wins and now visits Michigan on Tuesday for a stronger measuring stick, and the Big 5 Classic will change locations next season with the Palestra suggested as a potential host.